The National reports:

Saudi Arabia’s Labour Ministry said the kingdom would no longer issue work permits for domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines after these nations issued new hiring guidelines.

Khatab Al Atiry, the ministry’s spokesman, said yesterday the decision would be effective from July 2.The new terms laid out by the Asian countries included the release of more information about employers and a mandatory minimum wage.

Indonesians and Filipinos make up the bulk of household workers in Saudi Arabia, where they work as maids, drivers and gardeners.

An estimated 250,000 Filipinos and 900,000 Indonesians work in these jobs.

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And tell us what you think: Could this decision affect labor practices in the rest of the GCC, including Qatar?